The best blue cheese I've ever tasted is Spanish Cabrales. A good Cabrales will be creamy, sweet, tangy, buttery and nutty, and for my tastes nothing else comes close. Only problem is I rarely see it up here. So when I needed a blue a few weeks ago, I chose Cashel because I'd not had it before and I didn't see anything else compelling where I was shopping. And I discovered a cheese that is creamy, sweet, tangy, buttery and nutty in a way very similar to my beloved Cabrales! Going on memory alone I'd say there are some textural differences that would keep Cabrales in front for me (Cashel is a slightly wetter cheese), but as I'm unable to get Cabrales at all, this will do very very nicely.

My wine shopping and I have never had a problem. Just a perpetual race between the bankruptcy court and Hell.--Rogov

Going on memory alone I'd say there are some textural differences that would keep Cabrales in front for me (Cashel is a slightly wetter cheese), but as I'm unable to get Cabrales at all, this will do very very nicely.

I'm not sure I have ever seen this cheese but I was wondering why you don't order it online? There are several items I cannot find here in Redding so I order online and even though some shipping is involved, it is a treat to have that special ingredient. Just curious! Another thought, sometimes when I order from a company, I am able to bulk order several things and they give you free shipping.

I love Cabrales as well but I was totally bewildered when I saw at least 6 different offerings based on age in a store in Madrid. They ranged from totally hard, dry, dark discs to weepy, yellow, soft and everything in between. Would have taken a few months of tastes and trials to get to know the tastes and niche for each age.

I'm a big blue cheese fan and usually get some at least two times a month. Mostly gorgonzola for cooking (bleu d'auvergne is another core option) but will look into this today at the store for something different.

Going on memory alone I'd say there are some textural differences that would keep Cabrales in front for me (Cashel is a slightly wetter cheese), but as I'm unable to get Cabrales at all, this will do very very nicely.

I'm not sure I have ever seen this cheese but I was wondering why you don't order it online? There are several items I cannot find here in Redding so I order online and even though some shipping is involved, it is a treat to have that special ingredient. Just curious! Another thought, sometimes when I order from a company, I am able to bulk order several things and they give you free shipping.

I'm no stranger to online ordering, Karen, but have to admit it never occurred to me to buy cheese this way. Seattle's Whole Foods Markets, when I'm down there, offer a fab cheese selection and so do several purveyors to the north in Vancouver. I have several smaller-scale sources here in town too to save me from resorting to the typical grocery store options--it's just that Cabrales, though it has been here in the past, hasn't been seen in some time. Too, I don't even think I would ever order enough cheese at once to offset the cost of cold shipping.

My wine shopping and I have never had a problem. Just a perpetual race between the bankruptcy court and Hell.--Rogov

I don't even think I would ever order enough cheese at once to offset the cost of cold shipping

Yes, I know what you mean. The cold shipping, especially into Redding can cost more than the product itself. I usually have to wait until winter sets in and then try to find my product as close to Redding as possible. Oakville Grocery is a good outlet for me in the Napa Valley area.